Littleton Food Co-op

a community-owned market

Producer Spotlight: von Trapp Farmstead

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Producer: von Trapp Farmstead

Location: Waitsfield, VT

Found at the Littleton Co-op: specialty cheeses

Website: vontrappfarmstead.com

Perhaps the first thing you think of when you hear the name von Trapp isn’t cheese, but maybe it should be. Or, at least be the second thing. Werner and Erika von Trapp started von Trapp Family Farm in Vermont in 1959 after immigrating from Austria. Von Trapp Farmstead is now run by Werner and Erika’s grandson, Sebastian, with other von Trapps running other businesses in the area. Growing up, Sebastian didn’t want a future on the farm; but, after a tenure in software, he found himself called back home. Werner and Erika farmed in a way we would now consider regenerative agriculture – no-till soil management, crop rotations, no chemical fertilizers, etc. – and the same practices have been continued to this day. In addition to creating a quality cheese product, Sebastian emphasizes that their regenerative agriculture practices primarily stem from a love of the land. He says “When you love something you want to tend to it. You don’t make it unsafe, you don’t poison it, you don’t turn a blind eye, or walk away when a challenge arises. Our connection to the land, the cows, the milk, the cheese and the people, make it impossible to exploit any part of the system. Since we live here on this land and we rely on these beautiful animals for our livelihood and the livelihood of our team, since we are nourished by the milk, cheese, yogurt, and meats… for these reasons, taking care of all the parts of the farm is non-negotiable.” Now, von Trapp produces four cheese styles – all of which have won numerous national and international cheese awards. 

Similar to the lasting legacy of the von Trapp family, the family pushes for Vermont’s cheesemaking industry to continue by hosting a yearly apprentice on site to learn about cheese making and food systems through the Anne Saxelby Legacy Fund. 

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Joe’s Brook Farm

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Producer: Joe’s Brook Farm

Location: Barnet, VT

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Organic produce

Website: joesbrookfarm.com

For Eric and Mary Skovsted, the desire to farm and tend to the Vermont land was an inescapable pull they initially resisted. After meeting in college, the pair tried on different vocations and locations before returning to Mary’s hometown of Barnet, VT. The anchor to their dreams and eventual farm came in the form of a beaten up farmhouse alongside Joe’s Brook. The farm was originally just one tomato greenhouse and an oversized home garden, but within four years they acquired land along the Passumpsic River to expand growing land to total 17 acres. In 2022, that land allowed for growing over 130 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and berries.  Joe’s Brook Farm also expanded to employ year round and seasonal employees, including Eric and Mary’s daughters, Anna and Harriet, who can frequently be seen checking out customers at the Farmers’ Markets. However, the goal isn’t to continue buying land and increasing production. Instead, “It is a balancing act aimed at conserving our soil, maintaining a quality of life for ourselves and employees, and ensuring the farms financial viability, all while keeping the food we grow affordable and available to as many people as possible.” 

Unfortunately, Joe’s Brook Farm was a victim of flooding in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom in 2023 and 2024, both incidents resulting in over 90% crop loss. In 2025, they published a highly regarded series of resiliency strategies to arm against future climate change events. It includes adjustment to growing techniques, an emergency harvest plan, and how to supplement income to pay employees in the case of crop loss. In true farmer fashion, Eric and Mary also couldn’t help but look forward to future seasons and the increased soil nutrients the flooding provided, ultimately gleaning rays of hope from a devastating situation. 

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Bonilla Bread

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Producer: High Points Bakery – Bonilla Bread

Location: Bethlehem, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: quick breads, dessert breads, sourdough bread

Website: bonillabread.com

For one local bakery, the keys to success were: bananas, Bethlehem, and Bonillas. Casey Bonilla grew up with a passion for baking learned from days spent in the kitchen with her grandmother. As an adult, she never saw baking as anything more than a small seasonal venture. However, after she baked a batch of banana bread for a school fundraiser, the Bethlehem, NH community demanded year-round prolific access to her products. She started Bonilla Bread with classic dessert breads, but has since expanded to include quick breads, sourdough loaves, and baked goods to markets, stores, and restaurants across the North Country. With the expansion came more room for Casey’s family of seven to get involved! As she joked to the Littleton Chamber of Commerce, “[My daughter] just bought me a binder and gave me the assignment to organize all of my scraps of paper covered with recipes and notes. I’m supposed to have it all ready before she comes home for the summer.”

The Bonilla family is currently constructing their own “Little Bread Barn” in Bethlehem to have a dedicated space to fulfill the orders of their growing customer base. In the distant future, Casey dreams of a commercial bakery that provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Small Axe Farm

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Producer: Small Axe Farm

Location: Barnet, VT

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Organic produce

Website: smallaxefarm.com

Small Axe Farm could be called the antithesis of big corporate farming not just because of their local farm status; their grounded, small-scale community approach reaches throughout their operations, philosophies, and even the farm design itself. Farm owners Heidi Choate and Evan Perkins own 45 acres of land, but conscientiously decided to only farm on one acre. Not only is that number far below the average farm acreage, but their chosen acre sits on a steep hill. The rest of their land remains forested and wild. Both decisions reflect their desire to work with the land, rather than tear against it. It also led to Small Axe being an off-grid, no-till farm and house. No till farming is a strategy to limit soil erosion, capture carbon in the soil to mitigate climate change, use less soil inputs, and use less petroleum-powered farm equipment. Evan, Heidi, and their crew have optimized their operations so that their small growing area doesn’t further limit their production. According to Perkins, they prioritize growing “high rotation crops,” and are able to turn over and replant a garden bed within one hour. 

While farming is their primary occupation, Heidi and Evan make sure to model for their son, Rowan, their employees, and other farmers that it doesn’t have to be all-consuming. In the winter you will often find the family on a lake in Vermont wild ice skating. Coverage of their balanced farm and active life has amassed Small Axe Farm a substantial social media following and coverage in Seven Days Vermont.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Popzup Popcorn

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Producer: Popzup Popcorn

Location: Somersworth, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: ready-to-eat popcorn

Website: popzup.com

What’s more to popcorn than corn kernels? If you do it like Popzup, there’s a lot more thought behind it, without adding unnecessary ingredients. Wife and husband duo Julie and Marty Lapham were no strangers to entrepreneurship or the packaged food business when they founded Popzup in 2016. But after their children were grown and they had fallen into long-tenured careers, the duo decided it was time to start their next food business. They noticed that the popcorn on the market, often thought of as a simple snack, was filled with unnecessary oils and chemicals, and left a wasteful carbon footprint. Their mission was to create a popcorn that was antithetical to what was out there – not to mention tasted good. As Julie told Foster’s Daily Democrat, “As a popcorn company we consider ourselves accountable for everything we do, for our carbon footprint, our packaging (recyclable) and of course our products which are made using only fresh ingredients.” Popzup quickly grew from selling compostable microwave popcorn boxes at farmers markets to selling seasoning mixes and ready-to-eat bags with said seasonings at over 2,000 retailers nationwide. 

From their experiences working in the local food system (Julie used to manage multiple NH farmers’ markets!) the Laphams knew the importance of uplifting other local producers on your way up. Popzup continues to be made from locally grown corn, and seasoned with local butter, maple syrup, and cheese.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Meadowstone Farm

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Producer: Meadowstone Farm

Location: Bethlehem, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Produce, meat, and eggs

Website: meadowstonenh.com

It’s more than Meadowstone Farm’s proximity to the Littleton Co-op that sets it apart; although, the mere 2.1 mile drive makes it our “most local” farm. The first farming on the land known as Meadowstone Farm was dairy farming in the mid-1800’s through the 1970’s. The modern iteration of the land began in 2003 when it was purchased by current owners Tim Weinrich and Jess Griffiths. Teachers by trade, they transitioned to farm owners; however, they integrated their “past lives” by opening a private school, Woodland School, on the farm property. Tim’s original vision for the farm was to focus on compost, so as to have the widest impact on the local food system. In the early 2000s there were fewer major outlets for local farm-fresh food, and the community convinced Tim of the need to offer the North Country good food. On the same ethos of his original compost vision, Meadowstone continues offering seeds, plants, compost, training, home garden support, donations, and more to foster increased regional food independence. In Tim’s words, “It would be wonderful if Meadowstone Farm worked itself out of its current business because all of its customers produced what they needed.”

Meadowstone Farm was previously certified organic, but dropped its organic certificate in 2008. However, the change had nothing to do with a shift in the farm’s own standards and practices. Meadowstone opted out organic certification as a statement against, as they see it, a dilution of the organic standards by “big business agriculture,” and a focus on only eliminating certain ingredients, rather than a focus on making positive improvements. They continue to uphold their own “Beyond Organic” standards and prefer to be accountable to the community and their customers, rather than a certifying agency. Read more about the story behind “Beyond Organic” here.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: 14th Star Brewing Co.

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Producer: 14th Star Brewing Co.

Location: St. Albans, VT

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Maple Breakfast Stout

Website: 14thstarbrewing.com

Many entrepreneurs have stories of their ideas starting on cocktail napkins or scraps of paper; a burst of inspiration that needed to be written down at the kitchen counter, at the bar, or wherever they happened to be at that time. For Steve Gagner and Matt Kehaya, the idea went on the back of a notebook on the battlefields of Afghanistan. While on their second deployment together, the longtime friends used downtime to plan for life after the military, ultimately recognizing the community that is created around beer, and the relaxing atmosphere it can create to balance the pressures of military life. While 14th Star Brewing takes its name from Vermont – playing on the state being the 14th to join the Union– it gives back locally tenfold. Since the beginning it was never just about beer. The co-founders say “we wanted to ensure the brewery is used as a mechanism to make our communities a better place. Not just our local community, but our veterans communities.” 

When co-founder Steve began homebrewing, he was simply trying to copy existing craft brews he admired. Fast-forward and now not only is he a Vermont Small Business Person of the Year award winner, 14th Star Brewing Co. is producing world-class, worldwide recognized craft beer worth copying by the next up-and-comer. 

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Able Ebenezer Brewing Company

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Producer: Able Ebenezer Brewing Company

Location: Merrimack, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: beer

Website: ableebenezer.com

Able Ebenezer was founded in 2014 by Army Veterans and friends Carl Soderberg and Mike Frizzelle. The duo found that in addition to having shared military experiences, they had both discovered their love of craft beer during their service. Carl started his life after the military at a biopharmaceutical manufacturing company in Cambridge, and Mike returned to his home state of California. Before long, though, Carl decided to pursue his actual passion of brewing – to no avail. After facing many rejections from brewing positions at established breweries, all the while perfecting his homebrewing, he convinced Mike to pack up, relocate, and open a brewery. While it was a big leap to make, Mike attributes their quick to action style to their time in the military, saying “the quickest way to get kicked out of the program is to be indecisive. You could make a mistake, as long as you made a choice and took action.” Their scrappy budget and head first attitude led to them doing many of the construction, plumbing, and design themselves. The name Able Ebenezer came as a tribute to NH Veteran Ebenezer Mudgett and the Pine Tree Riots of 1772 in Weare, NH he inspired that ultimately contributed to the Boston Tea Party and American Revolution.

The historical theme continues throughout the brews, including their flagship beers Burn The Ships and Victory Nor Defeat. As Carl told New Hampshire Magazine, “”Only one of us is actually from New Hampshire, so it was a big step for the rest of us to ‘burn our ships’ to come here and attempt to start a business.” Now, they find community in the rest of the NH craft beer scene, and accolades from the Small Business Association to countless voters’ choice polls.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: YAYA Organics

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Producer: YAYA Organics

Location: Hopkinton, NH

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Sun and bug repellent for all ages

Website: yayaorganics.com

“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.” (President Jimmy Carter’s message designating March 2-8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week; a celebration that was soon expanded to National Women’s History Month). We’re taking the month of March to highlight and celebrate just some of the great women who have made an impact on our modern-day food system. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.

A new business doesn’t have to start out solving the world’s problems; sometimes the best place to start is focusing on the problems in your own backyard. In 2014, mother-daughter duo Alex and Rebecca were fed up with all the ticks in the backyard of their New Hampshire home. And the problem wasn’t going away – only getting worse each year. When they didn’t see any repellents on the market they felt comfortable using with their families, they decided to make their own. Right in their own backyard they researched and tested plant-based oils and other ingredients. Once they unlocked the potential of this type of people, pet, and environmentally-safe formulation, the business expanded; they brought on another partner, Valeria, and moved into mosquito repellent, sunscreen, and baby-safe formulas. Now, they are a 100% women-owned company that supports outdoor exploration in backyards across the country and beyond.

YAYA Organics stands by the idea that life outside is better, and what started as a simple observation turned into a national health solution that helps everyone live outside safely. Alex, Rebecca, and Valeria are proud to all be mothers that can now protect families beyond their own through their product lines. 

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.

Producer Spotlight: Bee’s Wrap

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Producer: Bee’s Wrap

Location: Middlebury, VT

Found at the Littleton Co-op: Reusable food storage

Website: beeswrap.com

“From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength, and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.” (President Jimmy Carter’s message designating March 2-8, 1980 as National Women’s History Week; a celebration that was soon expanded to National Women’s History Month). We’re taking the month of March to highlight and celebrate just some of the great women who have made an impact on our modern-day food system. Read more about Littleton Co-op’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work here.

Sarah Kaeck might be one of the only people who gets inspired by food leftovers. In 2011, she founded Bee’s Wrap out of her New Haven, VT kitchen after feeling disillusioned by available food packaging options. She felt called to reduce plastic use for food and protect the environment from her family’s time outdoors in the Vermont wilderness and her passion for baking. She was introduced to beeswax; a renewable, fully biodegradable material with its own natural antibacterial properties. Now, Bee’s Wrap products are made by infusing organic cotton with beeswax, tree resin, and jojoba oil to turn it into a pliable, food safe material. Sarah also cares about her workplace environment and is determined to make Bee’s Wrap a place that is collaborative, engaged, and supportive of its workers. She is acutely aware of challenges in the workplace that overwhelmingly affect women, and implements policies, like flexible work hours and family-friendly benefits, to support a gender-balanced workforce.   

Bee’s Wrap is sold across the world, and has had a number of positive endorsements from press outlets and loyal customers alike. While the company was sold to a private investor in 2021, it continues to be run by Kaeck out of Vermont and continues to offer good care for good food.

Status of product availability at the Littleton Co-op, and labeling of producers (such as local, Black-Owned Business, NH-made, etc) and product status or ingredients (gluten-free, vegan, etc) is based on available information at time of publication. The food world is an ever-changing landscape and information presented here may not reflect the most up-to-date information available.









Upcoming Events

 

Meet and Greet the Artist: Dylan Young

Meet and Greet the Artist: Dylan Young

Come meet the July/Aug featured Co-op Gallery Artist Dylan Young in an intimate reception on Saturday, August 22nd from 1-3PM
Senior Member Discount Day

Senior Member Discount Day

Senior Member Discount Day is on the 5th!
Senior Member Discount Day

Senior Member Discount Day

Senior Member Discount Day is on the 5th!

View more events here!

 

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